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ki4bbl

New Member
Hi all,

We live in water-rich Virginia Beach, VA. My 10 yo daughter is expressing interest in sailing (as am I) I would like to get a sunfish, but do not know where to begin to learn to sail, where to purchase a sunfish, etc. Can they be roof mounted? What is the weight limit ( I am heavy at 220)
Thank you, and I am looking forward to the new activity I can do with my baby girl!!

Thanks,
Greg
 
They can be roof mounted. I carry mine on top of my pickup because I often pull an RV and that is the best place. It is not an easy process getting it on top, but I can do it by myself with a step ladder. I just have to go easy and be on level ground.
 
ki4bbl said:
Hi all,

We live in water-rich Virginia Beach, VA. My 10 yo daughter is expressing interest in sailing (as am I) I would like to get a sunfish, but do not know where to begin to learn to sail, where to purchase a sunfish, etc. Can they be roof mounted? What is the weight limit ( I am heavy at 220)
Thank you, and I am looking forward to the new activity I can do with my baby girl!!

Thanks,
Greg
Click to expand...


Good choice! There probably is more parent-child 'competition' in Sunfish than perhaps any other class of boat. It's one of the few sailing classes where kids not only can be competitive in the same fleet as their parents - and even their grandparents - but where it's common for parents and kids to be participating in the same events. There are numerous high profile examples including at the very highest levels in the class, of 'children' who have traveled and raced extensively with their parents - for years and decades, and have progressed impressively in the class. The Sunfish class is chock full of examples of this parent-child racing continuing well into the the kids' own adult-hood, still traveling with and racing in the same events as their parents. This is an excellent family-oriented class!

To answer some of the specific questions,

- You can carry a Sunfish on a fairly small car. The roofracks on my subcompact can only be set a max of 30 inches apart, but the arrangement is good for carrying Sunfish at interstate speeds.

-220 pounds is not too heavy for a Sunfish, even with your daughter also on board. As for competitiveness, at least one past world champion has always been formidable at that weight. At the same time, a teen or even pre-teen can be competitive in the same fleet as a 220 pounder.

-The ideal place to find a boat and learn how to sail is first to find a local fleet. Active sailors often know about boats that might be for sail, and Sunfish sailors are particularly friendly and helpful. Read the windline write-up at http://www.windline.net/buysf.htm for buying a boat. Check out some of the Sunfish books as you start sailing, and maybe buy a copy of The Sunfish Bible, but keep in mind that nothing beats active racing for learning quickly.

- When looking for a boat, keep in mind that if you and your daughter really get into this, you will eventually want two boats, maybe in a year or two. And maybe a two-boat trailer down the line. Active Sunfish sailing is like golf, tennis, or any sport where, when you are first learning, specific equipment doesn't too much matter and you shouldn't go overboard, but after a year or two you'll have a really good idea of what you want, how much you'll want to spend and whether you want new or used for the long run. As with any sport, if you both really get hooked you may 'outgrow' your first purchase in a couple of years (and end up spending more than you will want to admit) but if it works out as a lifestyle activity with her it will be well worth it.
 
Welcome! I live just up the road, in Ocean View. Come on up this way any weekend its nice out, and hit our beach. You will usually find a ton of small sailboats of all sorts out here, and plenty of sunfish, sailfish, minifish, and cats. All I need to do is put my sail up and like a buglight, all the sunfish pop up! HaHa!
 
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